UNHCR urges support for Jordan to shoulder refugee crisis

[2/12/2018 3:13:32 PM]

AMMONNEWS - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, called on the international community to provide Jordan with the necessary funding to enable it to play its role in serving Syrian refugees.

During a tour in the Al-Zaatari refugee camp in the northern governorate of Mafraq, Grandi underlined the need for international and humanitarian organizations and the international community to increase the support and funding for host countries of Syrian refugees, especially Jordan, given the heavy burden these countries hold.

He said he chose Jordan as the first leg of his regional tour because it has been receiving refugees for 70 years from Palestine, Iraq, Syria and others; with approximately 41 nationalities on its territory; pointing out that Jordan is an example to be followed in terms of hospitality, generosity and providing a safe haven to those in need.

He added that Jordan provides opportunities for creativity and innovation, lauding the openness of the Jordanian government and the Jordanian people's hospitality, as they have welcomed hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

These efforts must be appreciated and Jordan and refugees have to be supported, Grandi stressed, calling on third world countries to resettle refugees in their countries to reduce the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey.

He indicated that he will visit Syria next month as the crisis enters its eighth year, wondering "how long will this war last?." He said he had visited the Al-Azraq refugee camp and had seen a center that treats children affected by the war. He added that Syrians are willing to return to their country but are not prepared for it now, due to the lack of safety and security The UNHCR plans to relocate 10,000 refugees to other countries, Grandi declared, calling on the United States and Denmark to take such steps and help refugees to resettle.

In his tour at the Al-Zaatari camp, in which he was accompanied by UNHCR Representative in Jordan, Stefano Severe, and its spokesperson Melissa Fleming, the UN agency chief checked on refugees needs and needed services and met with a number of Syrian families and listened to their demands.

The tour included the Al-Zaatari employment office, which provides refugees with job opportunities and permits and the camp's solar power station, which will increase the supply of electricity to the camp from 12-15 hours a day.